Customization doesn’t happen by magic. It takes high-tech machinery to make it happen, and one of the most popular is the pad printer. Think of it like a giant, inky stamp that is pressed down to customize cool items like pens, sunglasses, and even the smartphone in your hand!
Are you curious learn more about pad printing? Skip the factory tour, and get your behind-the-scenes look right here! Here’s everything you need to know about the pad printing process.
Pad printing, or tampography, is an offset printing process in which a silicone stamp transfers an image onto an item. It can be used to customize a wide variety of items, from small pens, toys, and watches to large appliances, auto parts, and pieces of medical equipment.
You can use pad printing on glass, metal, paper, cork, wood, rubber, ceramics, fabric, leather, or plastic. With edible ink, this imprint method can also be used to customize food!
Pad printing is used to print a logo or text on the following items:
Just imagine your fancy MacBook without that sleek Apple logo on the top! Laptops, TVs, smartphones, video game systems, and a variety of other tech gadgets receive their logo via pad printing.
After World War II, pad printing was invented as a way to decorate watches. The machines are still used this way today on brand names like Timex, Bulova, and Gucci.
Do you have a sweet tooth? You can buy chocolate, cookies, bubblegum, mints, and more candy decorated with pad printing. This process is even used to put the “m’s” on M&M’s!
Pad printing is used on catheters, hearing aids, and syringes. This imprint method is also used to print dosage information or identifiers on tiny pill capsules.
Athletes often shop with brands like Spalding, Wilson, or Rawlings. These companies pad print their names on their products, so customers know how to find their gear!
Look pretty with the power of pad printing! The process is used to print the brand logo or product info on eyeliner, lipstick, perfume bottles, and other cosmetics.
You may not realize it, but you can see examples of pad printing all over your house! It’s how the text and/or logo is printed on your dryer, toaster, dishwasher, coffee maker, and other appliances.
Some eyeglasses have sizes printed on the frames. Sunglasses may also sport a logo or brand name like Ray-Ban or Oakley. Both of these customizations are done using a pad printer.
You can’t build an epic LEGO town without pad printing! It is used to add details on the blocks and even the facial expressions on the people. Pad printing is also used on dolls, racecars, and other toys.
One of the biggest industries to use pad printing is the automotive sector. They use this process to mark brake pads, knobs, hoses, displays, and the letters and numbers on the gear shift.
Everything from the business pens handed out at trade shows to the signs in front of stores are designed on a pad printer. It is also used to add the logo to travel mugs, keychains, bags, and many other advertising materials.
A pad printing machine has 3 main parts: 1) the plate (cliché), 2) the ink cup, and 3) the silicone pad. Each of these pieces works together to transfer the image to the item.
Here’s how the pad printing process works:
The first step is in the hands of the customer! They send the image file from their computer to the pad printer. Ideally, this file should be in a vector format so it can be resized without any blurriness.
A plastic or metal plate (also called a cliché) is etched with the image. This transfer can be done in two ways:
A closed ink cup is placed on top of the plate. This is known as the home position. Once the ink cup is in place, it slides over the image and fills it with ink. This part of the process is called doctoring.
A silicone pad presses down onto the ink plate, picking up the image. This pad can be any shape or size and varies in firmness, depending on the item being decorated (substrate).
Pads are available to apply one ink color (most common) or multiple ink colors (more expensive).
Once the pad has the image, it’s pressed down onto the item (substrate). The print is complete!
Watch this video to see how pad printing works!
Pad printing ink is made of resins, which are different types of plastic in a viscous liquid form. PVC, alkyd, polyester, and epoxy are all used, but silicone is the most popular plastic to use since it’s flexible and conforms to the shape of the item being printed.
Of course, it isn’t only liquid plastic found in the pad printer’s ink composition. The formula will also contain pigments, solvents, dyes, and other additives. These extra ingredients are what give the ink its color and prevents it from drying out over time.
Screen printing goes all the way back to ancient China. Known as silk screening, it was a popular way to print images onto silk. It was also used to make the first paper currency in the world.
Pad printing, on the other hand, is relatively new. Invented in Germany in the mid-1960s, this print process was primarily used to decorate the faces on wrist and pocket watches.
Both screen printing and pad printing are very popular today. Here’s what you need to know about each process:
| Screen Printing | Pad Printing |
|---|---|
| Invented between 960 – 1279 AD in ancient China | Invented in the mid-1960s in Germany |
| Print is done with plastisol ink | Print is done with silicone ink; PVC, epoxy, alkyd, polyester ink may also be used |
| Image is transferred using a mesh screen and a green goo called emulsion | Image is transferred using a silicone pad covered in ink |
| UV light seals the design onto the item | UV light seals the design onto the item |
| 1 ink color is usually included in the cost | 1 ink color is usually included in the cost |
| Prints on glass, metal, paper, cork, wood, rubber, ceramics, fabric, leather, or plastic | Prints on glass, metal, paper, cork, wood, rubber, ceramics, fabric, leather, plastic, or food |
| Able to print on a variety of objects | Able to print on a larger variety of objects, surfaces, sizes, and textures |
| Clear, crisp image | Clear, crisp image; able to capture details better than screen prints |
| Fast | Fast, but not as fast as screen printing |
| Low setup costs; tends to be the cheaper of the two print processes | Low setup costs; a bit more expensive than screen printing |
Overall, screen printing and pad printing are fairly comparable. They are more or less the same when it comes to ink colors, setup, and how they can be used.
The main differences are in the cost, how the images are transferred, and the quality of the prints. Screen printing is also faster than pad printing, which is something to keep in mind if you’re on a time crunch.
Even though pad printing costs more than screen printing, it’s still relatively inexpensive. For instance, you can order 250 pad printed stress balls for around $350.
Overall, pad printing is extremely versatile. The benefits in using this decoration method include:
A pad printer works on any texture or shape. It can also be used on any size, from small items like toys and the keys on keyboards to large items like TVs and refrigerators.
The price for the ink and running the machine (a.k.a. the setup costs) are relatively low. You will end up with a high-quality print job, but without having to spend too much money.
A pad printer can customize as many as 1,000 items in an hour! The turnaround time may not be as speedy as screen printing, but it’s still lightning fast.
You’re going to love the way your image or text is printed. The machine is able to capture even the tiniest details and produces a print that’s clear and vibrant.
Above all, it’s super easy to run a pad printing machine. It’s something you can even do at home if your space allows!
You want to invest in customization that will last for years. The good news is pad printing is very durable, so you don’t have to worry about the ink fading or rubbing off over time.
If you’re at all worried, there are many steps you can take to preserve the ink on pad printed items. Avoid UV light and heat, and wash the items by hand whenever possible.
Now you know more about pad printing. It’s basically like taking the stamps you like to use for arts and crafts and making them bigger, bolder, and better. Give this print process a try for your next project!
Alyssa Mertes is an expert on branded swag. She's done it all, from uncovering the world's first custom tote bag to interviewing the designer who created AC/DC's logo. Her work has been featured on several podcasts and media websites.
